ST. LUCIE COUNTY – A dog was rescued Thursday morning from the rubble of a home that was hit by a tornado that passed through Hurricane Milton in a retirement community of 55 years and older. A resident found the dog, Benji, at the Spanish Lakes Country Club Village retirement community near Fort Piece.
CBS News Miami reporter Morgan Rynor was on the scene when he appeared live on “CBS Mornings.”
“I can’t believe I’m starting this off with happy news,” Rynor said during the segment.
“He has Benji. He has Benji. Oh my god,” Rynor said seconds after a man found the dog in the rubble.
Benji went missing Wednesday night after tornadoes hit the community. The dog was taken to a vet for examination on Thursday.
Two people in the house died, the neighbor told Ryner.
Bee at least four people died in St. Lucie County after several tornadoes spawned Hurricane Milton landed, county spokesman Erick Gill told CBS News Miami.
Gill could not confirm the number of victims at the Spanish Lakes Country Club Village retirement community near Fort Pierce. The modular homes are located along the Turnpike Feeder Road, west of Route 1.
“This is like nothing else we’ve seen,” Sheriff Keith Pearson told CBS affiliate WPEC.
He said 12 confirmed high-strength tornadoes tore through the area within 20 minutes.
More than 100 personnel, including the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Highway Patrol, the National Guard and the State of Florida Fish & Wildlife, were on scene, including some going door-to-door in the community to conduct search and rescue operations feed.
They halted their search and rescue operation overnight due to poor weather conditions, but resumed the search in the morning.
“Everything we can do is being done to search the area. Check the homes and if there is anyone in the homes we are going to work through the storm to get them out,” Pearson said.
